High chair



, Dec. 20, 1949 E. L. JOHNSON 2,491,465

HIGH CHAIR Filed April 21, 1945 IIIIIIII" 5:31 46 J l w I I 5? L36 39 36INVENTOR 4756460 1. JOH/VJO/I/ g BY ATTORNEY chairs.

Patented Dec. 20, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,491,465 HIGH 01mmEverard L. Johnson, Patch'ogue, N. Y. Application April 21, 1945, SGIiaINO. 589,536

4 Claims.

This invention relates to high chairs or infants More particularly, theinvention deals with a means for swingably and slidably supporting thetray or table portion of a chair in connection with the arms to move thetray or table portion out of the path of access to the seat in placing achild in or removing the child from the chair. Still more particularly,the invention deals with means for adjustably clamping the tray or tablemember in one of a number of .positions on the arms, adapting the trayor table to closely fit a child and aiding and retaining a child againstaccidental displacement from the chair, while also keeping foodsupported on the tray in close proximity to a child.

The novel features of the invention will be best understood from thefollowing description when taken together with the accompanying drawing,in which certain embodiments of the invention are disclosed and, inwhich, the separate parts are designated by suitable referencecharacters in each of the views and in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a high chair made according to theinvention with part of the construction broken away and showing the trayor table in operative position in full lines and in inonerative positionin dot and. dash lines.

portion of the chair, seen in Fig.- 1, with parts of the constructionbroken away and in section.

Fig. 3 is a front view of a chair showing part of the construction insection and showing a modification.

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of part of the structure, as seen in Fig.3.

Fig. 5 is a side view of a bracket portion, shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

Fig. 6 is a section on the line li 6 of Fig. 5; and

Fig. 7 is a section on the line 1-4 of Fig. 4.

In high chair constructions, it has been the general practice to supporta tray or table by rearwardly extending arms pivoted at the rear portionof the chair or the back-rest thereof to swing vertically over the headof a child in the operation of placing a child in or removing a childfrom the chair.

It is the purpose of my invention to so mount a tray or table member asto facilitate downward swinging of the same, as well as to provide meansfor adjustably clamping the tray or table in one 2 is a sectionaldetailed view of one side u 'vides free adjustment of of a number ofpositions in the chair to bring the tray or table into a desirableposition with respect to a child positioned in the chair and toestablish a reasonably close proximity to the child to preventaccidental displacement of the child from the chair.

In Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, I have shown one adaptation of myinvention and, in Fig. 1 40 represents a high chair which may be of anydesign and construction and will employ the conventional seat ll,back-rest l2, supporting legs 13, foot-rest or treadle Hi, arms l5extending for- Wardly from the back-rest i2 and suitably supported attheir forward ends by members I6.

In the present construction, the outer surfaces ,of the arms,particularly at their forward end portions, are provided withlongitudinal slots, channels or grooves H, in which operates the lowerflange 18 of channel plates is secured to the lower surface of a tray"or table as adjacent the side portions thereof. This constructionprothe tray or table into d-iiferent positions longitudinally of thearms l5 while, at the same time, permitting the tray or table 20 to bedetached from the forward ends of the arms to swing downwardly into theposi tion indicated in dot and dash lines in Fig. 1, this operationbeing accomplished through side supporting and clamping links 2|. Thelinks 2| are in the form of rather substantial rods, to one end 22 ofwhich are pivoted two brackets 23 secured to the lower surfaces of thetray or table at inner side corner portions thereof, as clearly seen inFig. l of the drawing. The other ends of the links or rods 2| areprovided with enlargements or ball ends 25 which retain the same againstdisplacement from clamp brackets 25 secured to outer edges of the seatin adjacent the forward corner portions thereof, as clearly seen in Fig.L.

The brackets 25 comprising outwardly extending round-bearing portions 25having heads providing swivel mountings 27 in the plates 28 of saidbrackets; the swivel mountings 21 are in the form of inwardly taperedheads. The bearings 2'6 are apertured, as seen at 28, to receive thelinks or rods 2i. The bearings 25 also support clamp screws 39 havingmilled or roughened heads it; It will be understood that, when thescrews 30 are loosened, the rods 2| are free to slide through thebearings 26 and these bearings are free to swing in the plates 28 inmoving the tray from the position shown in full position in Fig. 1 tothe dotted line position of said frame or in adjusting the tray '20 todifferent positions on the arms l5. In tightening the screws to, thetray will be supported in any position of adjustment.

In Figs. 3-7 inclusive, I have shown another form of construction. InFig. 3, 32 represents a tray or table similar to 20, 33 arms similar tothe arms I5, 34 channel couplings, similar to the couplings l9. In thisfigure, 35 represents the forward portion of the seat which is shown insection; 36 represents rods similar to the rods 2!; 3'! are pivotbrackets similar to the brackets 23.

Instead of providing the clamp screw construc tion shown in Figs. 1 and2, I provide in Figs. 3-7

inclusive clamp elements 38 which are slidably supported in spacedbearings or keepers 39 formed from an elongated metal strip 40 securedto the lower face of the seat 35 and extending to the side edges of theseat as will clearly appear from a consideration of Fig. 3.

The strip 40 also has a pivot 4i secured centrally thereof on which ismounted a lock lever 42, the pivot end portion of which is provided withtwo cam surfaces 43 adapted to operate upon inner spaced ends of theelements 33, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawing. The leverhas at its outer end a fingerpiece 44 facilitating operation thereof andthis end of the lever has an angularly extending corrugated finger 45adapted to operatively engage one of the rods 38, as clearly seen inFigs. 4 and 7 of the drawing, to retain the lever in a predeterminedlocking position, when the rods 38 have been forced outwardly into firmengagement with the links or rods 36 retaining the latter againstshifting movement in the supporting bearings 45 therefor. One of thebearings 46 is shown in sectional detail in Fig. 6 of the drawing andhas a portion 4'! extending into a supporting bracket 48 and retainedagainst displacement therefrom by a nut or collar 49 while, at the sametime, providing rotary movement of the bearing 46 in the bracket.bracket 48 is secured to the outer side edge of the chair and thebracket is of an oiTset construction, so as to extend the portion 41 ofthe bearing Each 46 to a position to receive the element 38 operatingfrom the lower surface of the chair seat.

It will be understood that, when the lock lever 42 is swung outwardlyfrom the position shown in Fig. 4, the cams 43 will free the inner endsof the elements 38, thus releasing all pressure on the rods 36permitting said rods 35 to swing and slide freely in shifting theposition of the tray or table 32 or in swinging the same into a loweredposition in the manner of swinging the tray 20 as in Fig. 1.

One advantage of the construction shown in I Figs. 3-7 inclusive is thatthe lock or control element constitutes a single member and is at aposition out of any possible reach by a child and, in a singleoperation, both against movement, whereas in Figs. 1 and 2, each element3! must be operated to lock or loosen the rods 2!.

Having fully described my invention, what I rods 36 are locked.

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: v

1. A high chair comprising a seat, a back rest secured thereto and sidearms connected with the back rest and seat, said arms havinglongitudinal grooves opening through the front ends of said arms, a trayhaving flanged members slidably engaging the grooves of said arms topermit adjustment of the position of the tray thereon and displacementof the tray from said arms, means comprising fixed pivots on the rearside portions of the tray and front side portions of the seat foradjustably retaining the tray in different positions of adjustment onsaid arms and for swinging the tray outwardly and downwardly whendisplaced from said arms, said last named means comprising rods havingsliding movements in the pivots at the sides of the seat, means forretaining the rods against sliding movement in said last r named pivots,said last named means comprising portions of the tray and front sideportions of the seat for adjustably retaining the tray in differentpositions of adjustment on said arms and for swinging the tray outwardlyand downwardly when displaced from said arms, said last named meanscomprising rods having sliding movements in the pivots at the sides ofthe seat, means for retaining the rods against sliding movement in saidlast named pivots, said last named means comprising an element adaptedto engage each rod, a common manually operated member for moving saidelements into operative engagement with said rods, said member having apair of cam surfaces operatively engaging said elements, and means onsaid member cooperating with one element for retaining said 4 member inlocked position.

3. In a high chair having a seat and arms supported above said seat, atray slidably supported upon said arms, rods pivotally supported to rearside portions of the tray, pivots fixed at front side portions of theseat, said pivots having rotatable parts, said rods slidably engagingthe rotatable parts of said pivots, an elongated supporting stripsecured to the lower surface of the front portion of the seat, elementsslidably engaging said strip, said elements having spaced adjacent endsand outer ends adapted to engage said rods at said pivots, and meansmovably supported on the strip operatively engaging spaced adjacent endsof said elements for moving said elements into operative engagement withsaid rods in retaining the tray in different positions of adjustment onsaid arms.

4. In a high chair having a seat and arms supported above said seat, atray slidably supported upon said arms, rods pivotally supported to rearside portions of the tray, pivots fixed at "front side portions of theseat, said pivots havadjacent ends and outer ends adapted to engage saidrods at said pivots, means movably supported on the strip operativelyengaging spaced adjacent ends of said elements for moving said elementsinto operative engagement with said rods in retaining the tray indifferent positions of adjustment on said arms, said last named meanscomprising a manually operated lever, cam surfaces on said leverengaging said spaced adjacent ends of said elements, and means on thelever engaging one of the elements to retain said lever in operativeposition.

EVERARD L. JOHNSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Swain Oct. 18, 1881 Buchner Apr.10, 1923 Connolly Feb. 2, 1926 Moran May 17, 1932 Lehman et al Dec. 4,1934 Lorenz Sept. 19, 1939 Tucker May 26, 1942

